Comfortable Disorientation

Youth overheard while queueing

Really long queue to pick up parcels etc. at the sorting office this morning.  The nice thing about long queues is that you're allowed to talk to your neighbours - as long as you talk about the queue itself.

Unfortunately this only wasted a few minutes, the time it took us to agree: that the queue is was unusually long - even for a Saturday; that we'll probably be there for at least 20 minutes; that we should have arrived earlier; that it's a pain it's not open on Sunday. After this we slipped into silence. So I was glad when a girl cut in on the pretext that she vaguely knew the boy queueing in front of me.  This gave me a conversation to eavesdrop on, and a chance to hear about youth concerns.  I learnt:

• How degree level English is different to A level:  More reading, 4 books a week rather than 4 books a year
• The pros & cons of A level film-studies: really interesting, nice to learn about something you're actually interested in, only get to watch short clips in class, not all universities count it as a proper A level
• Their thoughts on James Bond: the new one looks a bit rubbish, can't remember his name but he's definitely blond, Pierce Brosnan is ancient and up himself, James Bond is overrated generally
• Their thoughts on technology in the future: there will be a lot more of it, we probably won't use a lot of it, there will be more electric cars and hopefully they will be less ugly than they are now
• How difficult it is to decide what your going to do next: art school for a year is a good way of putting off the decision
• Why staying on at school is sometimes better than 6th form college: it's nice to still have people telling you what to do, 6th form college is too much freedom too soon

Does anyone else find this really reassuring? 

Girls on train

Now I have a blog, I have a place to put things like this.

It's a conversation I overheard and decided to record.  I'm not totally sure why I did so - certainly it appeared more interesting at the time than whatever it was I was working on.  To understand the tone, it should be read with the kind of world-weary-wisdom that is particular to girls in their late teens.

"I can see why it pisses everyone off but I would never tell Lucy. She’s very like, she’ll get something in her head. You know what she’s like...."

"She was saying she was hardcore, but later on she said I really want to, don’t tempt me.  I was like don’t say it because I really want to as well"

(Whispers something I can't hear)

"I’ve seen her do it, the way she describes it she exaggerates quite a lot".

"I can completely understand that though"

"It’s funny I find, like, even though we’re really different from her, I think us three have a common understanding. I don’t know why. I feel like we’ve had a similar kind of, you know school thing and similar experiences"

"She’s been very much – had a boyfriend all the time"

"Just when we talk about emotional stuff I don’t think she really gets what I mean.   I know where she’s coming from"

"That’s why I get on with her because although we’re really different I understand her. Whereas Lisa would be more like..."

"Yeah I know what you mean"

"Lisa you know she has all that stuff with her dad"

"It’s a weird situation the other two you know they don’t really like their dad but they get on with it.  She made that decision"

"I think she really hoped that he would…."

"It’s awful really – she’s seen him in town and stuff"

"I’d like to think if I were him I would really make the effort and stuff"

"Dunno really. I think she’s really just upset all the time"

What amazes me reading it now, is how little they have to say in order to run the conversation. They share so much common understanding that they only have to begin to allude to something in order for the other to understand.